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Chapter 15: Please, Claire.
Last Updated:
2025-07-19 08:59:05
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Twice in One Life Chapter 17: The Unexpected Visitor
Darren wasn’t prepared for the sight when he opened the door.“Mother?” His voice carried a mix of surprise and confusion. “It’s past eight in the morning. What are you doing here? It’s a little too early.”Ingrid Aller stood there, flawless as ever. She wore a dark gray suit with fine white pinstripes, the cut sharp enough to make her look both powerful and impossibly intimidating. A soft silk blouse peeked from beneath her blazer, and a string of perfect pearls hung around her neck. Her silver hair was pulled neatly into a bun, and her black heels clicked confidently against the floor as she stepped into the living area, uninvited.“Must I book an appointment to see my own son now?” she said smoothly, arching one brow as her sharp eyes swept past him into the apartment, like she was inspecting it for flaws.Darren let out a sigh and moved aside reluctantly. “You could have at least called first.”Her smile was faint, polite, but her eyes were anything but soft. “You look… comfortabl
Twice in One Life Chapter 16: The Morning After
The restaurant had been quiet that night, tucked away from the city noise. Darren had chosen a private table near the window, where the lights from passing cars painted soft streaks against the glass.It had taken a lot of pleas and convincing to make Claire sit with him for dinner. At first, Claire sat stiff, her fingers curled around her wine glass, answering Darren’s attempts at conversation with polite, short words.Now she found herself laughing. The night had been nothing like Claire imagined.After the tension at the restaurant, after the days of awkward, clipped conversations, she hadn’t expected laughter. She hadn’t expected Darren’s quiet teasing, or the way his smile softened every time he looked at her.“I shouldn’t have ruined our lunch date the way I did, Claire,” he said quietly, leaning forward, his gaze steady. “It wasn’t fair to you. It was so thoughtless of me, and I’m sorry.”The sincerity in his voice had made her soften her stance. And somehow, without realizing
Twice in One Life Chapter 15: Please, Claire.
Claire had been avoiding Darren for days.She still picked up his calls when work demanded it, still sent him updates on legal matters, and still signed her emails with “Best regards.” But every message was brief, polite, stripped of anything personal.The hurt from that day at the restaurant, the day he left her sitting alone to chase after another woman still made her upset anytime the memory surfaced.She told herself she wasn’t angry. Darren was a client, and she was a professional. But every time his name flashed on her phone, she hesitated before proceeding to answer. When Darren called again that morning, she let it ring three times before picking up.“Claire,” his voice carried its usual smoothness “Are you at the firm?”“Yes.” Her tone was clipped, businesslike.“I’ll stop by,” he said.“Not necessary,” she replied, keeping her eyes on her laptop even though she wasn’t reading anything. “If this is about the estate filings, they’ve been suspended. I can’t do anything withou
Twice in One Life Chapter 14: White Roses
The drive back home was quiet, but Darren’s head was anything but it. The image of those white roses stuck with him, the exact kind Celine used to tend to with her delicate hands, humming quietly in her garden. And now, a stranger, this so-called new successor had them replanted in the same spot. A coincidence, the worker had told him.The entire visit to the mansion felt wrong. He hadn’t even met the new chairman. That woman, what was her name? He didn't even get her name, had turned him away with a polite but firm “Miss Hayes is unavailable for uninvited guests.”Darren ran a hand over his face as he stepped out of his car, walking into his apartment building. His mind was jammed with Celine’s memories clawing at the edges of his thoughts, the new successor who seemed too intentional to be random, and that nagging image of Claire’s hurt face when she left him standing in that restaurant some days ago.He just wanted silence.But as soon as he pushed open the door to his apartment,
Twice in One Life Chapter 13: The New Chairman
The morning sun spilled lazily through the high windows, soft beams catching on the white sheets that still covered much of the furniture. Evelyn stirred awake.She had barely slept after the nightmare but at some point, exhaustion won, and she had drifted into a shallow, restless sleep. Now, as her eyes opened, something was different. Her movements, her demeanor, even the way she pushed back the sheets carried a sharpness Evelyn never had.Celine was awake.She swung her legs over the bed and stood, stretching slightly as though reacquainting herself with the body she now possessed. The mansion hummed with life again, the silence of the previous night replaced with movement. From her window, she could hear the muffled chatter of voices, footsteps, and the scrape of furniture being dragged across polished floors.When she stepped into the hallway, the sight greeted her in full: maids moved quickly up and down the corridor, arms full of linens and fresh flowers. Two men carried a heav
Twice in One Life Chapter 12: The Nightmare
Evelyn shot up in bed, gasping for air. Her heart raced like she had been running, and her hands clutched at the sheets, damp with sweat. She felt her throat with shaky fingers, half-expecting to find bruises there. Her chest rose and fell in quick with uneven breaths.The room was quiet, only the soft hum of the air conditioner breaking the silence. The curtains swayed gently, and for a second, Evelyn thought she saw a shadow move. She rubbed her face, trying to calm herself, but the nightmare refused to leave her. The images clawed back into her mind, sharper, louder, more real than the silence around her.She had been in this very mansion, but it wasn’t quiet and empty like it was now. It had been alive, lights glowing, fresh flowers filling the air with their sweet smell, maids moving around, voices soft in the halls.Outside, rain poured heavily, tapping against the windows. She had been pacing the lounge, phone in hand, waiting for Darren. He was supposed to come home that night
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